Antonia Gentry on Being a 'Curly Girl' and Embracing Her Textured Hair: 'Part of the Representation' (Exclusive)

Antonia Gentry knows the struggle of having textured hair.

The Ginny & Georgia star, 25, who is partnering with Aveda for the brand’s Be Curly Advanced line, says it’s hard as a “curly girl” to figure out which products actually work.

“There is just the universality of having 15 million different products in your cabinet and trying to figure out which one works for you,” Gentry tells PEOPLE. “That’s why I’m very historically hesitant to do haircare partnerships… but this Aveda line has so much care, attention, science and research put into the products to truly bring the market something that is actually catered to curly hair.”

The new Aveda collection is all about protecting hair from frizz, boosting hydration, and adding strength, shine and definition. All things that curly, coily and wavy hair need. With the summer months ahead (read: humidity!), the Be Curly Advanced line is bound to be a game-changer for anyone with textured hair.

For Gentry, when it comes to taking care of her hair properly and letting others style her hair, she says it’s “really about education.”

“Without being an actor, it’s already hard to find people who you can trust to take care of your curly hair, because there’s just not a lot of representation and a lot of education going into how to style and really care for textured hair as opposed to the typical straighter hair patterns,” the actress tells PEOPLE. 

She adds, “And so when you’re an actor and you have different events to go to and also whatever character you’re playing; your costume, your hair, your makeup, everything about it is specific to what is required for the character. I think that when I started acting and I started having to sit in the chair every single day to get my hair done, I really did sort of feel a sense of anxiety.”

Gentry is no stranger to hair mishaps as an actress. “I’ve had my hair break off, I’ve had my hair thin out, I’ve had it fried, dyed so many things that came from that lack of expertise and that lack of education on how to do my hair,” she recalls.

“The one thing I’ll never let happen to my hair again is spraying it down with water and then taking a curling iron to it while it’s soaking wet to somehow re-curl my already curly hair. I remember that happened to me and my hair was sizzling and I was just sitting there very, very confused and scared. I was like, ‘Why are we doing this?’.”

Since then, the actress says she is more comfortable with speaking up when it comes to her hair. “I think there’s a very real stigma against actors, especially with textured hair in the chair of feeling that they can’t really speak up about things that they aren’t comfortable with because they don’t want to be labeled as difficult to work with,” Gentry tells PEOPLE.

“And that is something that I dealt with and still kind of do, but I think there are definitely ways to sort of advocate for yourself because it is very important. I shouldn’t have to feel afraid of being communicative and having a dialogue with the people who I am trusting to take care of me.”

When it comes to her Netflix character Ginny, the actress says her hair is symbolic of figuring out how to fit in. “There were a couple of episodes in season 1 where Ginny, after turning 16, does straighten her hair because — as anyone with curly hair has probably experienced — the pressure to conform to what is considered normal when you’re young and changing and trying to figure out who you are happens,” Gentry says. “Straightening her hair for her was a way of trying to fit in with her friends.”

Gentry says that when it comes to her hair and fitting in, she relates to her character. “When I was that age and I went through my phase of waking up every single morning two hours before school to straighten my hair every single day just because my hair wasn’t really accepted within my friend group… it was always commented on and just sort of made me feel like an oddball that had to hide who I actually was.”

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She adds, “And that is something that I have experienced and continue to battle throughout even my adult life. But I think that is something that’s pretty universal for curly-haired girls, and so it was important to include it in the show.”

Playing Ginny is a “refreshing and cathartic experience” for Gentry. “I don’t really remember growing up watching a TV show where I felt like I could fully relate to the main character, and I think it was such a relief to be able to play a character that can specifically be identified with people who are similar to me.” She continues, “I’ve been approached by a lot of fans that have curly hair and have told me — young and old, many different ages, different genders — that seeing a character be able to wear their natural hair in a show has made them accept themselves more.

Now, Gentry has taken back the power of changing her hair. “When I was straightening my hair as a kid, it was to hide. But now if I want to switch up my hair, I have the tools to protect my hair into different styles, and it’s less about hiding and more about a way to express myself because curly hair can do so much, and I love being a part of the representation that you can embrace your hair.”